America’s Seed Fund Startup Expo 2023
Join us virtually on May 15th 2023 to hear from emerging tech startups!
Kicking off America’s Seed Fund Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will host its 2nd annual Startup Expo – showcasing innovative ventures that define the cutting edge of technologies critical for our nation’s economic prosperity, global competitiveness, and national security:
America’s Seed Fund Startup Expo 2023
Monday, May 15th
2:30 - 5:00 PM EDT
Virtual Event
About the Expo
At Startup Expo 2023, qualified startups will showcase their technology developed through America’s Seed Fund, after having been selected during the competition period from April 5 to 16, 2023. This year’s competition is open to innovative startups focused in 14 critical technology areas including biotechnology, quantum science, artificial intelligence (AI), space technology, renewable energy and hypersonics.
14 Critical Technology Areas
- Biotechnology
- Quantum Science
- Future Generation (FutureG) Wireless Technology
- Advanced Materials
- Trusted AI and Autonomy
- Integrated Network Systems-of Systems
- Microelectronics
- Space Technology
- Renewable Energy Generation and Storage
- Advanced Computing and Software
- Human-Machine Interfaces
- Directed Energy
- Hypersonics
- Integrated Sensing and Cyber
About America's Seed Fund
Also known as “America’s Seed Fund”, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs’ mission is to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy. These programs represent the nation’s largest source of early-stage research and development funding for small businesses. SBA coordinates the programs, collaborating with 11 federal agencies, who collectively supported more than $4 billion a year in federal research and development funding.
Through these highly competitive grant programs domestic small businesses with the potential for commercialization are encouraged to engage in federal Research and Development (R&D); these programs are an important resource for a wide range of researchers, innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs, and startups working on big ideas. The program’s goals are to:
- Stimulate technological innovation;
- Meet federal research and development needs;
- Foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by women and socially or economically disadvantaged persons; and
- Increase private-sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development funding
About the Host
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) leads programs that provide the high-growth small business community with access to two things: financial capital and R&D funds to develop commercially viable innovations. Our work is underpinned by public-private partnerships that help small businesses on their trajectory from idea to IPO.
Submissions will only be accepted between April 5, 2023 - 12 PM EDT and April 16, 2023 - 11:59 PM EDT.
Please review the recording of the competition webinar held on April 11th for more information and frequently asked questions on applying to the Startup Expo showcase: http://bit.ly/ExpoCompetitionWebinar23. The webinar deck may be found at https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=startupexpo2023
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting April 5, so don’t delay! There is no fee to apply and no fee to present if selected.
- Full competition guidelines (PDF)(link is external)
- Planning document with competition submission details (.docx)(link is external)
- When you are ready, Apply Here!
Eligibility Requirements
This Competition is open only to business concerns as defined in 13 CFR 121.105. Generally, an entity organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States, and which operates primarily within the United States.
To be eligible, the business concern must:
- Be the SBIR/STTR awardee firm or a successor-in-interest firm that markets a product or service using an SBIR/STTR-derived innovation
- Have received their first SBIR/STTR Phase II award in the following Fiscal Years (FY2018, FY2019, FY2020, FY2021, FY22, or FY2023), or is a successor-in-interest firm meeting this criteria
- Produce or manufacture their product(s) domestically, if the firm is marketing a product(s). Details on what constitutes domestic manufacture can be found in 13 CFR 121.406.
- Be responsive to one or more 14 Critical Technology Areas
- Biotechnology
- Quantum Science
- Future Generation (FutureG) Wireless Technology
- Advanced Materials
- Trusted AI and Autonomy
- Integrated Network Systems-of Systems
- Microelectronics
- Space Technology
- Renewable Energy Generation and Storage
- Advanced Computing and Software
- Human-Machine Interfaces
- Directed Energy
- Hypersonics
- Integrated Sensing and Cyber
SBA employees and contractors are not eligible, nor are Federal entities or Federal employees acting within the scope of their employment. Individuals or organizations that are currently suspended or debarred by the federal government are not eligible for this Competition.
Competition Criteria
- Contestant Information: Basic applicant main point of contact details will be collected in the application form including phone number, email address and title.
- Company Information: Basic company information will be collected in the application form including basic company details, industry and relevant technology information.
- Video Narrative: A video of not more than 5 minutes that describes the company and team, and their expertise related to the technology; the SBIR/STTR-funded technology; impact of the technology thus far; traction, awards, recognition and/or strong sales; and what the business needs in order to scale.
When you are ready, download a planning document (link is external) with competition submission details to prepare your submission, or go straight to the application form (link is external).
Judging and Selection of Winners
A Judging Panel will evaluate the submissions based on the criteria and requirements specified in these Competition Rules. The decision of the Judges will be announced on the Competition website in May.
The members of the Judging Panel will be selected by SBA, at its sole discretion, and may be comprised of SBA personnel, other federal agency representatives, and private sector experts. Each judge will serve on a volunteer basis. Each judge will be screened by SBA to ensure he/she does not: (1) have personal or financial interest in, or serve as an employee, officer, director, or agent of, any Contestant; or (2) have a familial relationship with a Contestant.
Submissions will be judged based on:
- Overall Quality and Clarity of Submission
- Alignment with Expo-Specific Objectives identified in section 1, “Subject of Competition”
- Alignment with objectives of the SBIR and STTR programs as defined in the SBIR/STTR Policy Directive.
- Impact, Traction, and Scalability
- Relevancy to Critical Technologies identified in section 4, “Competition Submission Details”
The Judging Panel will selecting those submissions that, in the Judging Panel’s judgment, best satisfy the Competition criteria and present the greatest potential to meet the Competition objectives. If an applicant does not meet the eligibility criteria and does not provide basic contact details, the application will be deemed ineligible. In addition to reviewing applications for the individual merit of their proposals, judges may also take into account the geographic location and dispersal of Contestants, the extent to which Contestants reflect the goals of the SBIR/STTR programs, industry diversity, the risk posed by the Contestant’s organization, and other similar considerations when selecting winners.
